CPI-M leader under scanner for foul language against Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, March 10: The Election Commission Monday said it was looking into a complaint against CPI-M legislator Anisur Rehman for his alleged derogatory comments about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, even as the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress Monday gave notice for a privilege motion against him in the assembly.

The state’s joint chief electoral officer Saibal Barman said state chief electoral officer Sunil Gupta was “looking into the matter”.

Burman said in such cases, the protocol is to seek a report from the district returning officer. After submission of the report, if the commission finds anything offensive then it will start a probe.

Condemning Rehman for using foul language, state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee expressed concern over use of disparaging remarks becoming a trend.

“The language which he used to attack Banerjee and the entire women folk as well as other ministers, we feel, it is becoming a dangerous trend. It seems he has not learnt lessons from the past,” he said, adding the notice of the motion has been sent by post to Rehman.

Besides making personal remarks against Banerjee, Rehman Saturday had described her ministerial colleagues as “lambs who can’t even marry without permission”.

Addressing an election meeting in Birbhum district, the former minister targeted actress Moon Moon Sen who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls as a Trinamool candidate.

Rehman said the actress was “foraying into politics to make money as her films were not working”.

Rehman, who was forced to apologise at an earlier instance for his unsavoury personal attack on Banerjee, this time though has remained defiant, claiming his remarks were justified.

Even as Rehman continues to receive flak for the remarks, Trinamool’s Birbhum chief Anubrata Mandal, known for his hate speeches, yet again has been found inciting his party workers against the opposition.

“The rats are now hiding in their burrows, you should pit the burrows with mud and also use cyanide so that they don’t come out,” Mandal who enjoys Banerjee’s support, told a rally Sunday.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretary Biman Bose has described Rehman’s remarks as unacceptable but flayed the media for not highlighting similar remarks made by others.

“It’s not that the Leftists only make such remarks. Such remarks continuously come from the right wing parties, but nobody bothers to highlight them. This is nothing but paid news,” he remarked.